West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, while reacting to the controversy over the newly-inaugurated Jagannath Temple in Digha, said she respects both the temples. Her response came as objections are being raised over the state government promoting the temple as ‘Jagannath Dham’, a title traditionally associated with the 12th-century Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha..

Amid the controversy, the Odisha government also said on Sunday it intended to send a letter to Banerjee, requesting her to stop referring to the recently constructed Jagannath temple in Digha as “Jagannath Dham”.

Banerjee, addressing the issue, appeared to equate the significance of both temples and reiterated her reference to the Digha site as “Jagannath Dham.”

“We respect the temple in Puri and we also respect Jagannath Dham. Kaali Temple and Gurdwaras are everywhere across the country. Temples are there in all places…Why is there so much anger on this issue?,” she said.

The Jagannath Temple in Digha was officially inaugurated by the West Bengal government on April 30.